User blog:Cfp3157/The Glass Castle Review: Tonal Imbalances Can't Drown the Wallis' Fire
A fascinating character piece on poverty and optimism, this film intrigues even if it may distance some viewers. Although the cast and Cretton's steady hand behind the camera certainly make sure the Jeanette Wallis story is told faithfully and well, it can't help but struggle when it tries to balance the various emotions that are conjured. However, that shouldn't take away from the sheer power and boundless energy that cleanses the dark story being told. The Cast Though the characters are mostly flawed and at times downright despicable, the cast of The Glass Castle ''does a phenomenal job bringing them to life. Max Greenfield is reliably entertaining and just the right amount of pretensious in his few scenes, while Sarah Snook and Josh Caras are fully lived in characters as Jeannette's older sister and brother respectively. The children of the cast do fine work as well, with Ella Anderson as the true lead of Young Jeannette really lifting the film proudly on her shoulders. If there's a chink in the armor, it's Brie Larson. After falling in love with her last collaboration with Cretton, the Larson hears seems different and distant. Although her character does not have much to do, Larson doesn't help it any. Quite a disappointment, but certainly not terrible and perfectly fine. However, where Larson lacks Naomi Watts and Woody Harrelson shine. The former Watts has a maternal and loving spunk to her that perfectly balances with Harrelson's performance. She really grapples with all of the idiosyncraties and flaws of the character, but keeping her real and loving. Woody Harrelson, however, gives the performance of his career as Rex Wallis, the patriarch of the family. While Rex is a destructive, brutal force of nature to behold, Harrelson constantly lets the wounded man and optimist rise from those ashes. Every moment spent with Harrelson begs viewers to come closer, only for his whirlwind of anger to send them scurrying away in true, genuine fear. Score: 4 out of 5 The Script The re is certainly heart in this film, that's impossible to deny. However, even if the brutality ot life is told faithfully, the film creates a cast of unlikeable and toxic characters, drawing fascination but little empathy for them. The film also has difficulty juggling its tones, shifting from pessimistic to optimistic and back again without any true consistency. In fact, the times they do balance together it's inappropriate and off-putting, even if the beating heart of the film remains in tact. Telling the life story of Jeannette Wallis, ''The Glass Castle ''spans the adolscent years and Jeannette's adult life as she approaches her wedding. When she encounters her homeless parents on the way home from a social event, she is forced to recall and reconcile the environment she was raised in. Jeannette must confront her father, fiance, and most importantly herself in how she truly feels about what she wants to be. Feeling as if there should've been more of an edge, the film's truly heavy and brutal themes don't mesh well with the way it's told. The sentimentality and tenderness tries to make viewers love these characters, but their actions and personalities force them away. Instead of embracing the grit, ''The Glass Castle ''feels too formulaic to tell it's fascinating story but not restrained enough to earn the heart it asks for. Score: 2 out of 5 The Direction For all the narrative flaws of ''The Glass Castle, the film shown is beautiful to watch. Cretton maintains the gripping lens of his debut Short Term 12, while making effective use of his increased budget to allow his production team the ability to create the world these character survive in. Brett Pawlak's camera manges to capture the beautiful hills of West Virginia, barren deserts of Arizona, and the bright starry nights of the wilderness beautifully. Edited by a competent Nat Sanders, the film aptly juggles Wallis' life in the present and in the past without shifting too drastically in between. Perhaps the most effective aspect of the film is the music, both in it's soundtrack and the score. Joel P. West utilizes his orchestra to convey the layered feelings of Rex's anger or the brooding silence of Jeannette's adulthodd to full effect, while the soundtrack is one of the rare uses of contemporary songs where the songs add to the film. Even the timing feels right- shifts in time and atmosphere are aided Darla Hawn and the Lumineers. Once again, though, the blame falls on Cretton for the film's shifts in tone. Unable to balance the story he and co-writer Andrew Lanham crafted, he is forced by himself to utilize the beauty of the craftsmen given to him and squandering it on bad atmosphere. Although most of the blame falls on Cretton the writer, Cretton the director should have elevated beyond its cliches; he didn't. Score: 4 out of 5 Final Verdict ''The Glass Castle ''has flaws, that's undeniable. It's uneven, unfiltered, and uncontrolled in its approach, almost making an effort to dislodge viewers from their comfort zones. However, it more than makes up for that with Woody Harrelson's dynamite performance, as well as the technical efforts of the film. Well-acted and excellently crafted, the narrative hiccups and chinks can either be forgiven or elevated for the individual viewer. More likely, thanks to the sheer heart and honesty it tells itself, it will likely be the former. Final Score: 67% For Your Consideration: *Best Picture *Best Supporting Actor for Woody Harrelson *Best Supporting Actress for Naomi Watts (in a weaker year) *Best Cinematography (in a weaker year) Category:Blog posts Category:Reviews Category:2017 Reviews